The newly developed system, known as TrustGate, is designed to detect cyber threats to water treatment plants and other industrial infrastructures. This initiative was undertaken by two undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Miloni Thakkar and Mitwa Goswami, under the guidance of Dr Sameer Kulkarni.

TrustGate integrates network traffic analysis with physical sensor data to identify potential cyberattacks that may not trigger conventional security alerts. The project has garnered recognition, securing the second prize at the Intel Cup, an international Undergraduate Electronic Design Contest held in 2026 at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. The innovation aims to enhance the security of critical infrastructure, particularly in the context of water supply systems.

The inspiration for TrustGate stemmed from a significant cyber incident in 2021, where an attacker attempted to compromise a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida. The attacker remotely accessed the control system, trying to dangerously increase the sodium hydroxide concentration. This incident underscored the limitations of existing cybersecurity measures, which often fail to detect legitimate-looking commands that can lead to hazardous outcomes.

How TrustGate Operates

TrustGate distinguishes itself from traditional cybersecurity systems by analysing both network activity and physical sensor data concurrently. It employs a dual-stream Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) model, enhanced by a cross-modal attention technique. This allows the system to cross-check information from both data streams, enabling it to identify subtle patterns that may indicate a cyber threat.

The system’s ability to detect gradual or concealed manipulations is particularly noteworthy, as these tactics often evade standard security protocols. Upon identifying an anomaly, TrustGate can specify the nature of the attack, pinpoint the affected physical component, and display this information on a live map of the facility. This feature aids operators in quickly locating issues rather than responding to vague security alerts.

To validate its effectiveness, the students tested TrustGate using the Secure Water Treatment (SWaT) dataset, which is based on a scaled-down water treatment testbed maintained by the iTrust Centre at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The system is designed to function on embedded hardware, eliminating the need for cloud connectivity.

Future Prospects and Development Plans

TrustGate employs Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 technology to ensure system integrity and incorporates a self-healing mechanism to restart core processes in case of failures. Despite its promising capabilities, the project currently exists as a research prototype validated in a controlled laboratory setting.

Before TrustGate can be implemented in operational facilities, it requires further trials using real-time plant data, support for additional industrial protocols, and formal security certifications. The students have expressed a desire to continue developing TrustGate, indicating its potential applicability to other critical infrastructures, such as power grids and oil and gas facilities.

Both Miloni Thakkar and Mitwa Goswami are committed to advancing this project beyond its initial academic scope, aiming to enhance the security of essential services against emerging cyber threats. Their work reflects a growing awareness of the importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding public utilities and infrastructure.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share